Rising

Some places are more than the brick and mortar structures that they are built of. They can be equated to feelings. That feeling of community. That feeling of belonging. That feeling of building careers and dreams.

Now that I’m back at work and on the road, I’m back to observing life first-hand, and absorbing and expressing a myriad of emotions. Driving past the Springfield Value Centre last week, I was overwhelmed with tears. It was painful to see blackened parts of the centre that remain after the storm that engulfed our lives in July 2021. Some stores have re-opened and are trading in the admirable spirit of resilience. Some stores are still empty – but the ongoing work is visible. Stores that once were filled with the chatter of customers and the smiles of staff, stand hollow. And that broke my heart.

Growing up in Newlands West, I distinctively remember the joy when Springfield Value Centre first opened. I loved the convenience it offered and it was great on our pockets too. There were many family visits where we would park our car on one end, and walk through to the other end and back. There was everything to browse and buy – from shoes to homeware to clothing. And even on the days when we left with nothing tangible, we had a workout and soaked in fresh air and the sun! Amid my working student days, the centre was my go-to for gifts for friends and family. And, when I moved out of Newlands West, this tradition continued with my husband. It always felt like coming home. You know, the comfort of familiarity.

As I drove past the centre, all these memories came flooding back, and more. I recalled how the centre gave employment to people from the nearby communities. It would have been that “first job” for many. They may have been promoted, and moved on, while others may have stayed. That week in July destroyed everything. The careers they were building were halted. Their dreams were shattered with brutal force – the same force that was used to smash windows of stores during the looting.

This was a conscious criminal act. It wasn’t as it seemed on the surface – of simply sending out a message to government and big business. This went much deeper. This was shattering the dreams and livelihoods of ordinary, hard-working citizens and robbing their families of food, to fill the cupboards of a few for their own selfish gains. In the aftermath, these employees lost their jobs. With no safe brick and mortar structure, with no goods; the hands of their employers were tied. Their livelihoods too were at risk. Some of these were family buinesses, built on generational legacies. Their pain cannot be overlooked.

How deeply we have been hurt as communities and as a nation by the events that winter can never truly be measured. But after Winter comes Spring, and this Spring brings renewed hope for the full re-opening of the centre. As the sign at the entrance boldly declares, it is time for “The Rise of Springfield Value Centre”.

I pray that the rise is as beautiful as the birth of the centre. I pray too that there is a “rise” in the level of understanding among my fellow South Africans of just how significant these centres are, not only to our economy, but more so, to the dreams of millions.

Let’s keep dreaming,
and defending our democracy.

(Image: Pixabay)